11 September 2013

While much of the nation's attention was focused on Bill de Blasio's impressive in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary, there were a number of historic wins in the outer boroughs that deserve attention.

Twenty-five-year Ritchie Torres won his primary in the Bronx's District 15 and is likely to become the first openly LGBT elected official in that borough. Torres won with 36% of the vote in a 6-way race. The Bronx-born Puerto Rican had support from labor, political groups and his former boss, East Bronx councilman Jimmy Vacca, reported Paul Schindler in Gay City News.

For an out gay man of his age running in a borough he noted has seen “a wave of social conservatism,” Torres has made impressive strides. He has earned a blizzard of union endorsements — from the Central Labor Council, healthcare workers at SEIU 1999, buildings service workers at SEIU 32BJ, transit and sanitation workers, teamsters, and the United Federation of Teachers, as well as the Working Families Party.

He is also supported by State Senator Gustavo Rivera — a reformer who ousted Bronx legend Pedro Espada, recently sentenced to federal prison for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from a non-profit he controlled — and Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., the scion of another Bronx dynasty who parts ways with his infamous father on gay rights issues.

Torres has worked for Councilman Vacca since he was 18-years-old. Very impressive.

Three openly gay candidates were among those vying for the Bronx District 15 city council race. That fact was described as a "remarkable" achievement by DNAInfo in June 2013.

Their only community center closed last year, gay-centric social spots are scarce and the streets can still feel unsafe for same-sex couples, some say. Not only has there yet to be an openly gay Bronx legislator, but it was a Bronx state senator, Ruben Diaz Sr., who cast the lone Democratic vote in that chamber against the state’s 2011 same-sex marriage law.

All of which makes the entry of three openly gay candidates — including the apparent frontrunner — into a single City Council race in the heart of the borough seem so remarkable to some. "That to me would be a huge victory," said Antonio Centeno Jr., former board chairman of the now-defunct Bronx Community Pride Center.

The general election is in November. The district overwhelmingly skews Democratic and Ritchie Torres is heavily favored to win.

Three gay newcomers won their primaries yesterday for New York City Council, including R20 friend Corey Johnson in Manhattan and Carlos Menchaca in Brooklyn. Three incumbents won their respective primaries: Queens Councilmen Danny Dromm and Jimmy Van Bramer, as well as Councilwoman Rosie Mendez of Manhattan.

04 April 2013

Sorry, boys. Grammy Award-winning, Puerto Rican gangsta rap and reggaeton hotness Daddy Yankee says he is not on our team—despite many rumors that spread like wildfire across social media that claimed the singer issued a "homosexuality declaration" after compromising pictures allegedly/supposedly were leaked.

"Once again social networks are the protagonists in spreading false news, which have been replicated by other media involving a public figure. The story that is circulating about Daddy Yankee’s homosexuality declaration is a false story written by an Internet portal as many others, dedicated to fabricate and disseminate news through social networks," said Helga García, president of Perfect Partners Public Relations.

The Los Angeles Times and other outlets reported Wednesday that the "Gasolina" singer had issued a statement that confirmed he was gay.

For weeks, the Spanish-language media and bloggers have been working themselves into a lather about the sexual orientation of Daddy Yankee. ... The blather reached a crescendo Wednesday after photos of a man resembling Daddy Yankee kissing another man surfaced on the 'net and were picked up and reprinted by other outlets. That set off another round of innuendo: according to some accounts, Daddy Yankee released a statement acknowledging that he is gay, and asking the media to respect his and his family's privacy.

"I am a human being like any other, with virtues and defects, and I don't believe that this is a defect," he was quoted as saying in a putative "statement" to the press and his followers.

The "speculation" apparently began after Daddy Yankee was asked his opinion on same-sex marriage. The rapper reportedly gave this response in Spanish: "I have people on my team who are gay, and I respect them entirely and give them work.”

Would have been HOT if it were true. But seriously: A "homosexuality declaration"? Does this even sound like something Daddy Yankee would say? #ChildPlease

27 March 2013

Diaz Jr. was elected borough president in April 2009 and previously served in the New York State Assembly. Diaz Jr. is the son of Ruben Diaz Sr, the rabidly anti-gay New York state senator and Pentecostal minister. Diaz Sr. was the only Democrat in the Senate to oppose the mariage equality law passed in June 2011.

After considerable deliberation and introspection, I support marriage equality. My decision, which comes after years of thought and reflection on
the issue, is informed by the experiences I have had with close
friends, family and loved ones.

For example, my chief-of-staff, Paul Del Duca, has for decades
worked to help the people of this City. He has helped people find
housing and jobs, he has dedicated his professional life to assisting
those in need. Why, then, should he and his partner Damion—whose
wedding I stood witness to—be denied the same rights of any other loving
and committed couple? Moreover, why should my niece, Erica Diaz, be
denied the ability to get married when her time comes?

Borough President Diaz Jr. also called on the Supreme Court to strike down Proposition 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act. DOMA Section Three prohibits federal recognition of legallly married same-sex couples and denies all federal benefits, such as Social Security, penion benefits, prefential tax treatment and health care. The justices heard oral arguments on Section Three today.

The counter-protesters at the 2011 rally included member's of Diaz's own family—Erica
Diaz, the then-22-year-old openly lesbian granddaughter who was
discharged from the Navy under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." In addition to his granddaughter, Diaz Sr. also has two gay brothers.

27 November 2012

Change that we can believe. The White House announced today that President Obama has nominated Judge Nitza I. Quiñones Alejandro, who is openly lesbian, to serve on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Quiñones has served on the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, Judge Quiñones would become "the first out" Latina lesbian to serve on the federal bench.

Judge Quiñones is a native of Puerto Rico. She received her J.D. in 1975 from the University of Puerto Rico School of Law and her B.B.A. cum laude in 1972 from the University of Puerto Rico. Before joining the bench in 1991, the judge served as a staff attorney for the Departments of Veteran Affairs and Health and Human Services.

She is the eighth openly gay life-tenured federal court judicial nominee named by President Obama. Prior to the Obama Administration, only one openly gay individual had been confirmed to serve with lifetime tenure on our federal judiciary.

Three of the President's openly gay nominees have been confirmed and one withdrew his nomination after significant obstructionism in the Senate. Pamela Chen of New York is currently awaiting a vote by the full Senate Judiciary Committee and Judge Quiñones will join Judge Michael McShane and Judge William Thomas in the queue for a hearing by the Committee.

Judge Quiñones would likely become one of the nation's most high-profile openly lesbian Latina jurists. Colorado Supreme Court Justice Monica Marquez joined the court in December 2010. She became the first Latina and the first openly gay jurist on that state's high court.

Quiñones was one of three judges nominated today to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “These men and women have had distinguished legal careers and I am honored to ask them to continue their work as judges on the federal bench,” said President Obama in a statement. "They will serve the American people with integrity and an unwavering commitment to justice."

09 November 2012

Puerto Rican featherweight champion Orlando Cruz is the subject of this week's "Der Spiegel Interview." This is major because the iconic German news weekly is one of Europe's largest publications. The openly gay boxer talks about discovering his sexuality as a teenager in Puerto Rico... and the climate of fear after the brutal killing of a transgender friend.

It's a long interview and probably Cruz's most revealing so far. Definitely read it if you have five or ten minutes.

CRUZ: I was 19 years old. I was boxing at the Sydney Olympic
Games in 2000. I met a man there. And when I got home, I sensed that
something in me had changed. ... I was in a very bad state [b]ecause I wasn't prepared for it. For a long time I didn't
want to accept that I was gay. Better said: I couldn't accept it because
I was too afraid. Homosexuals were discriminated against in Puerto Rico
back then, sometimes even killed. I had a friend named José, but we
called him Linoshka because [she] was [transgender]. [She] was stabbed to
death in the street at the age of 19 by a homophobe because [she] had taken
part in a gay-pride parade.

SPIEGEL: How did you handle it all?

CRUZ: It was a painful path, but I was lucky in that my mother
gave me her support. One year after the Olympics, I explained to my
parents that I was gay. My mother told me she didn't care, and that she
loved me. After that, we both cried for joy. [My father] was more difficult. He was never as sympathetic as my
mother. In the meantime, my parents have separated. During my fight two
weeks ago, my mother was sitting right next to the ring; my father was
up in the stands. But I was happy that he was there at all.

Cruz also talks about the "macho" swager of boxing and where he fits in: "I [want] to prove to people that I am not a girl in the ring. I am a man in every sense of the word."

The 31-year-old boxer came out publicly in early October. At that time he became the first openly gay active fighter in the hyper-masculine sport—well known for its homophobic trash talking and homoerotic subtext. About two weeks later he won his first
boxing match since publicly coming out. Cruz beat Jorge
Pazos in a unanimous decision at a televised bout in Florida.

[The] two-part ballot first asked all voters if they favor the current status as a U.S. territory. Regardless of the answer, all voters then had the opportunity to choose in the second question from three options: statehood, independence or "sovereign free association," which would grant more autonomy to the island of nearly 4 million people. More than 900,000 voters, or 54 percent, responded "no" to the first question, saying they were not content with the current status.

On the second question, only about 1.3 million voters made a choice. Of those, nearly 800,000, or 61 percent of those expressing an opinion, chose statehood — the first majority after three previous referendums on the issue over the past 45 years. Some 437,000 backed sovereign free association and 72,560 chose independence. Nearly 500,000, however, left that question blank.

Gov. Luis Fortuno, a member of the pro-statehood party who is also a Republican, [was] turned him out of office after one term, and gave the governship to Alejandro Garcia Padilla of the Popular Democratic Party, which wants Puerto Rico to remain a semi-autonomous U.S. commonwealth.

Puerto Rico has witnessed an escalating trend of anti-LGBT violence and homicides. Fortuño has resisted efforts to prosecute the cases as hate crimes, has refused to publicly speak on the violence but did call for a constitutional ban against same-sex marriage.

24 October 2012

Puerto Rican featherweight champion Orlando Cruz talks to HBO's Real Sports about his decision to come out as boxing's first openly gay active fighter. "I would cry every day before and after the gym and think, 'Oh my God, help me'," Cruz tells Jon Frankel on the pressures of being closeted.

Why at this point in his career? "Because I want respect in the ring and outside on the street. ... I'm glad I did this. I'm very, very happy," said Cruz.

Cruz won his first boxing match since publicly coming out on Friday. The boxer beat Jorge Pazos in a unanimous decision at a televised bout in Florida. Cruz discussed his decision to come out in a brief interview with ESPN senior writer and CNN contributor LZ Granderson after that match.

Scores were 118-110 (twice) and 117-111 in favor of Cruz, who made headlines earlier this month in becoming the first openly gay active male boxer. While the news helped generate more press than is normally afforded for a Telemundo-level fight these days, the two boxers were all business throughout the promotion. Once the opening bell rang, who does what with their personal lives was left in the rearview mirror and it was all about who was the better fighter. [...]

On this – and perhaps any other – night, it was Cruz and with room to spare. The Puerto Rican southpaw mastered the art of hit-and-don’t-get-hit all evening, jumping out to a huge lead early as Pazos struggled to even lay a glove on his opponent.

In a vacuum, the win hardly rates compared to what else Cruz has been able to accomplish both as a pro and amateur, including a tour with the 2000 Puerto Rico Olympic boxing squad. Some will argue the real victory was the fact that he made it to the ring at all for this fight, given the general machismo that comes with a sport that in several areas remains in the dark ages.

Cruz became the first openly gay active fighter in the macho and hyper-masculine sport—well known for its homophobic trash talking and homoerotic subtext. The 31-year-old Cruz is now 19-2-1 (9KO) with the win. Bonus points: The crowd went absolutely crazy when Cruz was introduced.

04 October 2012

Puerto Rican featherweight champion boxer Orlando Cruz has come out and become the first openly gay, active fighter in the sport's history. The 31-year-old Cruz represented Puerto Rico in the Sydney 2000 Olympics and boasts a strong professional record of 18-2-1.

Cruz said that he hopes to become a "role model" for youth, reports USA Today.

"I’ve been fighting for more than 24 years and as I continue my ascendant career, I want to be true to myself. I want to try to be the best role model I can be for kids who might look into boxing as a sport and a professional career. I have and will always be a proud Puerto Rican. I have always been and always will be a proud gay man."

Cruz began boxing at the age of 7 and posted an amateur career record of 178-11. He won 7 Puerto Rico National Title’s and spent 4 years on The Puerto Rican National Team. Cruz won 7 Gold Medals, 1 Silver and 2 Bronze in various international tournaments. His amateur career culminated as a representative of the 2000 Olympic Team in Sydney, Australia. 2000 Olympic teammates included former world champions Miguel Cotto and Ivan Calderon.

Cruz made his professional debut on December 15, 2000 and won his first world title on March 22, 2008 and a regional title on October 14, 2011 (WBO Latino Featherweight title). His next fight is scheduled for October 19 in which he will defend his WBO NABO title against Jorge Pazos.

A win against Pazos should position Cruz for a bid to become the world champion in his division. But first the newly-out boxer will sit down next week with Telemundo for an exclusive interview.

Cruz becomes the first openly gay active fighter in the macho and hyper-masculine sport—well known for its homophobic trash talking and homoerotic subtext.

Former welterweight and middleweight champion Emile Griffith came out as bisexual in a 2005 interview. Griffith's personal career includes one of the most controversial professional boxing fights: A notorious fight-to-death with Cuban fighter Benny Paret in March 1962 at Madison Square Garden. Griffith literally beat Paret into a pulp and he died 10 days later. Paret apparently called Griffith a "maricon", the Spanish equivalent of "faggot."

The incident became the basis of the 2005 documentary Ring of Fire: The Emile Griffith Story. In 1992, Griffith was viciously beaten and almost killed after leaving a gay bar in midtown Manhattan.

Nineteen-year-old Orozco is the 2012 Visa National Champion, Puerto Rican and a native of the Bronx, New York.

The nineteen-year-old Leyva is the USA All-Around champion and the 2011 World champion on the parallel bars. Leyva was born in Cuba and his mother and father—both former members of Cuba's national gymnastics team—later defected to America.